Michael Angelo Caruso teaches leaders and salespeople how to be better presenters. He's a valued communication consultant to companies and organizations all over the world. Michael has delivered over 2,000 presentations and keynote speeches on five continents and in 49 of the 50 states. He's an internationally recognized expert on the subjects of leadership, selling and improved customer service.
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It’s true that some Rotarians unselfishly serve others without expecting anything in return. But many people who give want something back. For example, they want to enjoy the experience and have fun. Here’s how to get more from being a Rotarian.
1) The amazing Law of Reciprocity.
You get what you give. In other words, when you put energy into Rotary, you get something back. To get the most from your membership, you must do more than pay dues and show up to an occasional meeting once.
The people who get the most from our organization are the Rotarians who serve on committees, become club officers, contribute to the Foundation, achieve Paul Harris status, attend the District Convention, etc.
The people who get the most from our organization are the Rotarians who serve on committees, become club officers, contribute to the Foundation, achieve Paul Harris status, attend the District Convention, etc.
2) Hit all your marks.
When on a movie set, Brad Pitt receives specific instructions from the film's director that involve "hitting his mark." The mark, sometimes a piece of gaffer's tape on the floor, indicates exactly where Mr. Pitt will be in the best light, on camera, and within microphone range. The other actors expect Brad to hit his mark, as well.
When Rotarians don't hit their marks, the service experience is less than. Interestingly, some members leave because they don’t hit their mark -- and then blame the club or the organization.
3) Get outside your club.
If your club has 20 Rotarians, you’ll experience "X" from associating and interacting with those 20 people. But there are over 1,000 Rotarians in Rotary District 6380, so by interacting at the District level, your Rotary experience becomes 10x!
And there are 1.2 million talented Rotarians in the world!
Access as much Rotary talent as you can by reading Rotary magazine every month and visiting other clubs. You can easily determine where and when other clubs meet by using the cool Rotary Club locator app.
Also, attend your District conference every year. The energy is much different at conferences and your Rotary world will really open up when you experience the great keynote speakers and special breakout sessions. I attend the Rotary International Convention; it's a great way to see the world because this event is held in a different country every year.
If you have an area of expertise, consider speaking at Rotary conferences. I've been fortunate to speak to Rotarians in Bangkok, Thailand, Lisbon, Portugal, Sydney, Australia and every state except Hawaii!
4) Go public with Rotary.
Rotary is still the best-kept secret in many cities. Promote Troy Rotary in your outgoing voice mail message and in your email signature file. If your business supports doing good things in your community, make arrangements to display the Rotary logo on your employer’s website.
5) Stay open to new stuff.
Innovation is important for all organizations.
One way to ensure change is to make change a constant. Groups who try new things all the time, experience fast feedback loops that allow improvements such as efficiency and productivity.
- "We could ask the new member to be in charge of Public Image, but she doesn't know enough about Rotary."
- "Changing our meeting location might be a good idea, but we'll probably lose members."
- "Guest speakers attract potential Rotarians, but it’s difficult to find a good speaker every week."
To cultivate a “can do” attitude, substitute the word “but” for “and.”
- "We could ask the new member to be in charge of Public Image and although she doesn't know enough about Rotary, she’ll probably bring fresh ideas to the position."
- "Changing our location might be a good idea and we stand to gain many more members than we would lose."
- "Guest speakers attract potential Rotarians and while it’s difficult to find a good speaker every week, having a system in place will help us succeed.”
We’re all in this together. Let’s help each other get more from giving.